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The 32 Elite
The Elite 32 During the few moments of frivolity given to new Autobots during the Great War, the younger warriors, scientists and medics-to-be would oftentimes regale themselves by telling the tale of "The Elite 32": the story of the fated crash of the Ark spacecraft, which claimed the lives of all 32 Autobots aboard, including celebrated Autobot leader Optimus Prime. For nearly four million years, the story went as follows: Desperately low on energon, Autobot leader Optimus Prime made a last-ditch effort to secure a new source of fuel by recruiting 31 of the top Autobots in their field to assist him in the reconnaissance mission. But somewhere out in space, their craft was ambushed by a Decepticon elite crew of their own, led by Megatron and Starscream. What happened after that was unknown, but it resulted in the loss of everyone on board. The story was so well known that it was virtually imprinted into every Autobot's memory banks, as younger Autobots pretended to be the noted Autobot that matched their personality and skill set. Some believed that the Autobots landed on another planet while others thought that the crew was zapped into a different dimension. Most "realists" believed the ship exploded, killing everyone on board. Whatever side an Autobot took, the story of the Elite 32 was treated like Homer's The Odyssey was treated in human classrooms today. That was, of course, until around 1984 when it was discovered that the Elite 32 actually survived the crash. Criticisms Though most Autobots held the story of The Elite 32 in near-mythical regard, other Autobots weren't so kind. In general, the more intellectual line of Autobots fell into two different camps about Optimus Prime's decision to load a craft with so many high-ranking officials. Prime's detractors criticized his choice of putting so many elite officers in the Ark, and not providing any other crafts for protection. These scholars believed had some "second in command" leaders like Prowl or Jazz stayed behind, the Autobots may have been able to vanquish the Decepticons since they also suffered the loss of their first and second-in command. Prime's supporters countered the commander did leave a competent command staff behind, and that it was the the lack of resources available to Alpha Trion, Elita One, and Ultra Magnus that kept them from prevailing against Shockwave, rather than any fault of Prime. Members Members of "The Elite 32" include the following: ;Bridge Crew - sometimes known as the "Elite 19" Optimus Prime Wheeljack Bumblebee Trailbreaker Prowl Jazz Bluestreak Ratchet Sideswipe Ironhide Mirage Brawn Gears Windcharger Sunstreaker Huffer Cliffjumper Hound Hauler ;Additional Crew of the Ark Blaster Hoist Red Alert Inferno Powerglide Grapple Perceptor Cosmos Beachcomber Smokescreen Seaspray Tracks Warpath Note Other Autobots, added to the Ark crew at the last minute by Prowl, were unknown to the troops left behind on Cybertron, and their names remained lost to time until they were awakened and revived on Earth millions of years later. category:Autobots category:History category:Transformer culture